When All Hell Breaks Loose
by CelticH2O
Summary: After Rikki, Bella, and Cleo finally graduate high school, it seems like nothing can go wrong. But, when someone goes missing, things take a turn for the worst. Allies and enemies have returned and secrets will be unveiled. The result? Perfect lives are turned into a perfect hell. Can their friendship survive? Will they survive? Set after the series 3 finale.
1. Inception

**A/N: It's been so long since an actual update. I've barely had time to write, and in the rare moments that I did, my mind came up with a solid nothing. Simply put, it was rough couple months. But, as I was thinking of how to write my other two stories, my mind suddenly came up with a storyline for this new story! I was up all hours of the night writing this, so let's hope it was well worth it! :)**

**For my _Eva's Story _and _The Battle for Bennett _readers, hang in there. I'm seriously trying my best. I can't thank you enough for your continued support and amazing reviews! For that, I love you guys! **

**Also, to all of those who are wondering, the Mako Mermaids (H2O spinoff) official trailer has been released within the past few days. It looks really good, but I wonder if it can live up to the wonderful H2O... :)**

**Anywho, enjoy the story and review! :)**

* * *

The blazing summer sun shined down on the beautiful beaches of the Gold Coast. The clear blue ocean was exquisite and had just the right waves for a perfect surf. A crisp and salty breeze complimented the heat and somewhat cooled down the hot sands.

Taking advantage of the luxuries of summer were Cleo, Rikki, and Bella. The trio held their shoes in hand and crusaded across the hot beach. They finally stopped at a vacant area to place their towels and shoes down. Sitting down, Rikki lazily sprawled out across her towel while Cleo continued to read a book. Bella, on the other hand, relaxed and lay on her back to sunbathe.

Cleo then tossed the book aside and sighed happily. "I just can't believe it. Me, Cleo Sertori, a high school graduate—"

"With a science honor!" Bella added with a smile. "Plus having to save the world."

"I mean, just look how far we've come! Uni, here we come!" Cleo squealed in pure excitement and she happily beamed.

Rikki groaned and rolled over to face Bella and Cleo. "Oh, please. We just got _out_ of school and you still bring it up?"

Glaring at Rikki, Cleo continued with her thought. "This is exciting, Rikki, believe it or not. Lewis is staying here, because of his winter holiday…"

"Will and I are doing better than ever…" Bella said. "Not to mention Sophie is accepting the idea of us as a couple."

"I'm happily single and free from school." Rikki added.

Cleo smiled. "See, everything is falling into place. I swear, nothing can go wrong." She paused, thinking for a moment. "Now, about those uni applications…"

Rikki threw her hands up in defeat. "There. Moment ruined. Nice one, Cleo!"

She looked at her confused. "What did I do?" Bella started laughing at her two friends lightly arguing.

"The whole uni thing. Give it a rest for a while." Rikki playfully bumped her shoulder into Cleo's. "Come on…" Both of their smiles grew. "We're mermaids! We could do something _fun_ and, I don't know, go swim somewhere."

"She's got a point, you know." Bella agreed with Rikki. "You've earned some fun, Cleo. We _all_ have. Just the three of us."

Cleo slowly began to give in. "But what about—"

"Nope." Bella dismissed.

"I was just going to say—"

"Well don't." Rikki warned.

"But—"

"Cleo. We can defer for a year. One year away from school won't kill you." Rikki reminded as Cleo rolled her eyes.

"Think of it as a mental health day." Bella smiled. "But it's just a really, really, really long one."

"Alright, alright." Cleo gave in. "Since I get to spend more times with my two best friends…" Rikki and Bella smiled in excitement. "…And Lewis!" Rikki groaned at the end of her sentence.

"Oh, shush." Bella looked at Rikki and cracked a grin. "Don't be jealous." Rikki snorted a laugh.

Just then, Cleo's phone buzzed. "Who's that?" Rikki asked.

Cleo rolled over to see who it was. "I don't know. Let's see." Entering her passcode into her iPhone, she quickly unlocked the message. Her expression suddenly became unreadable, causing some concern towards her two friends. She then brought her free hand to her mouth.

"Cleo, is everything alright?" Bella asked, sounding worried.

With Cleo not answering, Rikki tried to get her attention. "Cleo? Say, Cleo, are you still in there?" She waved her hand in front of Cleo's eyes.

Suddenly, Cleo came back to reality and looked like she was going to explode with excitement. Her eyes lit up and she was practically squealing with excitement.

"Must be really good, yeh?" Bella asked hopefully.

"EMMA!" Cleo shouted with delight. "Emma's coming back!"

"What?" Rikki asked happily. "She is? How—what—when?!" She took a deep breath trying to control her excitement.

"Whoa, wait a minute. Emma?" Bella asked, taking in a few seconds to process the name. "Is she the other mermaid?"

"As in the girl we transformed with? Yes!" Cleo beamed.

"What did Emma say exactly?" Rikki questioned. "I mean, it's been so long!"

"Umm…" Cleo scrolled down the message in her phone. Bella and Rikki looked over her shoulder to see the message. "Basically, she just said she was coming back to the Gold Coast in a couple of days!"

Although Bella was still somewhat confused but what was going on, she remained excited to meet yet another mermaid. "What's she like?"

"You'll love Em." Rikki told Bella. "I'm sure she can't wait to meet you either. We've told her about you and she's seemed pretty keen on meeting another mermaid." Bella couldn't help but crack a smile.

"Ooh! This just made my day! Emma's coming back!" Cleo announcement with a bright smile. "This calls for a celebration swim. Shall we?" All three of them smiled even bigger and they dove into the ocean headed straight for Mako.

* * *

Meanwhile, Lewis was kneeling down on the docks, untying his boat from one of the wooden posts. He was about to go fishing, his gear and signature hat already placed in the boat ready to go. Stepping in, he put his hand on and jerked on the pull start. The motor gave a promising start but died down soon after.

"Oh, come on…" He grumbled in annoyance. Lewis stood up and took the cover to the motor off. He was just about to check it when his phone beeped. Hitting the open button, he immediately realized it came from a blocked ID. The message was even more baffling and simply read: _Hello, Lewis._

He didn't know what to make of this. Cautiously looking around the docks, he wondered if this had been some sort of prank. There had been no one there or anyone even near the neighbouring boats.

_"Miss me?" _Lewis swirled around with chills rolling up and down his spine. He became scared, getting the inner feeling that someone was watching him. The eerie voice had been so distant and easily could have been the wind playing tricks. Nevertheless, Lewis just wanted to get away from the area as quick as he could. He scrambled to get the motor running, and as soon as it started, he sped off hoping to leave what he had apparently heard behind. In the process of speeding, his hat was swept off his head and landed at the edge of the docks. Lewis didn't go back for it or even bother looking for it.

As Lewis' boat sped off, a figure walked closer. It watched Lewis' boat grow smaller and smaller until it was too far away in the distance. Walking closer to where the boat just was, it stopped at Lewis' hat. It chortled sinisterly, picked up the hat, and disappeared as quickly as it came.


	2. Little Box of Horrors

**A/N: Things have been tight yet again, so updating/writing has been quite scarce. I hit a couple dry spells trying to write, and I came up with some lovely blank pages. So if you're waiting for _Eva's Story_ or _The Battle for Bennett_, they will be coming. I promise I will not abandon them. ****But, I have happily found inspiration for _When All Hell Breaks Loose! _**

**So, a MASSIVE thank you to readers and everyone who reviewed, favourited, and/or followed! It means the world to me! Keep up with them; they help me to get inspiration and update quicker! ;)**

**So without further adieu, here's _When All Hell Breaks Loose! _And like the story and chapter title suggest, things are about to get, well, a bit intense... **

**Enjoy! :)**

* * *

Rikki, Bella, and Cleo zoomed through the endless blue ocean. Racing towards Mako Island, the three flipped and intertwined with one another. They swam through schools of fish and the breathtaking coral, not even bothering to stop for a moment. Rushing to get the finish line, the girls gave it their all and sped in through the underground opening that led to the moonpool.

"I win once again." Rikki boasted as usual, surfacing in the pool. Cleo and Bella were close behind her, but Rikki didn't want to see it that way.

"Oh, please. We were right behind you the whole time." Bella calmly replied.

"And you two put up a decent fight." Rikki smiled and began to tease Cleo. "You've certainly improved, Cleo. At least I didn't forget that you were behind me."

"Hey, hey, hey. You watch what you say there!" Cleo exclaimed. "I'll make Bella turn you into mermaid gelatin."

Bella looked at Cleo strangely and held up her hand. "Interesting, but I don't think I ever agreed to that." She paused, thinking about it and started to laugh. "Although—" Rikki gave Bella a death stare, but she continued laughing. "Alright, never mind then."

"You know what I think the real problem is?" Rikki began. "I think Cleo here is just jealous."

"On the contrary!" Cleo shot back. "I think you're just trying to count all your wins before Emma comes back. Because let's face, we'll all lose races to her again."

Rikki sighed, but couldn't help but smile. "I don't know… she may have some stiff competition."

"I'm with Cleo on this one." Bella gave in. "I think Emma's got you beat."

"What?!" Rikki exclaimed. "Bells, you haven't even met her yet!" Her face was full of shock and betrayal. Deep down, she knew Emma would beat her. But, of course, she could never admit to that.

Cleo and Bella exchanged looks and burst out in hysterical laughter. "I know. We just wanted to bust your ego on this one. Cleo put me up to it."

Still laughing, Cleo put her hands up in defeat. "I'm sorry, but I just couldn't help it. We both know that you don't want to lose to the swim chap."

"'Swim chap'? I'm assuming this was before her mermaid days?" Bella questioned as Cleo and Rikki nodded in response.

"In all honesty," Rikki began, "I kinda miss Em. I mean, it's been so weird without her."

"I agree." Cleo replied. "And Bella, you've helped complete our family. Once Emma comes back, everything will be perfect."

"You're not gonna throw me out when Emma returns, right?" Bella's voice was quiet but easily had a concerned tone.

"How could you think like that?" Rikki was in shock. "Of course not! Like Cleo said, you're a part of our family now. We wouldn't trade you for anything."

"You could never replace Emma, Bella. Nor was that ever our intention. You both mean so much to us and I wouldn't give you—or Emma or Rikki—up for anything."

"What she said." Rikki said with a smile.

Bella smiled and gushed, "Aw, thanks you guys! I wouldn't give you guys up either."

"Together forever!" Cleo cheered.

"Oh, stop. We're getting too corny now." Rikki moaned.

"But we were having a moment there!" Cleo protested.

"Yeh, well, I'm so glad we reestablished the sisterhood of mermaids, but I'm kinda getting hungry." Rikki paused. "Say, Cleo, do you have those chocolate ice cream bars?"

"Um, yeh, I think dad bought them the other day." Cleo said. "Why?"

"Last one to Cleo's is mermaid gelatin!" Rikki cheered diving under the water and racing out.

"No fair!" Cleo and Bella yelled and raced after Rikki.

* * *

Lewis didn't even think twice about looking back at the marina. No matter how hard he accelerated the motor, it didn't seem like he was going fast enough. _Whatever _was back on the marina—Lewis wasn't even sure of it himself—had truly left him disturbed and shaken. What did it want with him? A chill rolled up and down his spine at the thought of it wanting to hurt Cleo or Bella or Rikki. But how? There was no way this threat was real. His brothers, or even Rikki, could have been behind the prank. That was all it was, Lewis reassured himself. It was only a prank.

Putting his hand on his head, Lewis came to the realisation that his fishing hat was gone. He sighed, knowing that he wouldn't be able to catch anything without it. It was his lucky hat after all. But, under the circumstances, he knew he would survive without it for now. It would merely be waiting for him once he returned to the marina.

He finally stopped the boat in the open water, completely isolated from the mainland. Without a doubt, he knew that he desperately needed that. Smiling satisfactory, he put his trusty lure on his fishing rod and cast it out into the open water. This was definitely the peace and quiet he needed. If fishing couldn't put him at ease, he was afraid that nothing could. Lounging back on the boat, Lewis patiently waited for the fish to take hold of his lure.

After a few minutes, the rod began to tug forward. Jumping up, Lewis hooked the fish and began to reel it in. However, the fish started to give him a hard time, and Lewis pulled the rod back with all his might. Lewis heaved and grunted through his teeth, "Must be a big one."

Finally, Lewis triumphantly reeled the fish in and it landed on the boat. However, to Lewis' disappointment, he hadn't gotten a fish at all. It was a large pile of seaweed.

"Wait a second…" Lewis observed the seaweed carefully. There was something underneath the mound. He individually took the strands of seaweed off to reveal the object. With that, Lewis jumped back, nearly toppling over the side of his boat. His eyes dilated with fright and he was instantly rendered speechless. He could have sworn his heart had skipped a beat.

Throwing everything into the boat, he raced back to the mainland, completely frightened by what he had seen in isolation. As fast as he could, Lewis jerked the motor's pull start and sped off again. His eyes were set on returning home, but they couldn't help and stare at the soaked fishing hat he knew he had left behind at the mainland.

* * *

Rikki was sitting on Cleo's counter, eating a chocolate ice cream bar. Licking the last of the cream from the stick, she smiled. "I love these things, Cleo."

"We've noticed." Cleo remarked and Bella got up from the couch to hand Rikki a paper napkin. "And you've been eating me out of house and home ever since."

"Yeh, yeh, yeh…" Rikki mocked, throwing the stick away.

"Wait until Emma gets back. She'll be putting you on a diet." Cleo teased, settling down on the couch.

Rikki rolled her eyes. "Great. And she'll make me do the homework that doesn't exist."

"So she's like one of those uptight people?" Bella guessed.

Cleo shrugged. "You learn to love her. Seriously."

"We're fire and ice." Rikki smiled. "Literally."

"Ah, so I'm assuming gelatin and water will act as the peacekeepers?" Bella asked.

"Precisely." Rikki grinned, reaching into the box for yet another ice cream bar.

"We'll bring them down, Cleo." Bella whispered as the two exchanged looks and high-fived.

"Hey!" Rikki chimed in protest and Cleo's phone beeped.

"Who is it?" Bella asked in curiosity.

Opening the message, Cleo squealed in excitement. "Ooh, it's Em!" She read the message. "'On my way back now. I need to see you guys. I'll be there as soon as I possibly can'."

"This is kind of exciting." Bella admitted.

"We need to catch up on heaps of things." Rikki began. "The tentacle, the comet, the crystals, the moonpool—which I don't think she'll be too happy to hear about."

"Who would? I didn't even transform there and I hate looking at how wrecked that place is." Bella replied.

Cleo was silent, looking at the message with a perplexed expression. She turned to Bella and Rikki. "Guys, take a look at this." The two peered over Cleo's shoulder to look at her phone. "According to the date here, the message was supposedly sent three months ago."

"Three months ago? That doesn't make sense." Rikki began. "The message would have been sent to you way before now. _Emma_ would have been here."

"The one we got earlier is from three months ago too." Bella looked at Emma's previous text. Her expression became concerned. "That can't be good."

"I just don't get it." Cleo mused. "Why did we get this message _now_?" Just then, another message from Emma popped up.

"I don't have a good feeling about this." Cleo shut her eyes and handed the phone over to Bella. "Here, you open it."

"Cleo…" Bella tried, pushing it away.

"Just do it!" Cleo exclaimed as Bella hesitantly opened the message. She didn't say anything.

"Well?" Rikki asked, waiting for the message. She watched as Bella's face whitened. "Bella, what is it?" Her voice became full of worry.

"It's from the day after the other messages." Bella swallowed uneasily. "And all it says is help."

* * *

Lewis' heart leapt with joy when he first saw the docks in the distance. And this time, there were more people around the area, which gave him the reassurance that he wouldn't have to be there by himself. Everything would be alright, he told himself, and it's all over.

He silently cursed at himself when he saw a small brown box near where he docked his boat. Lewis did not want to go anywhere near it, but it would be daunting whether he opened it or not. He shuttered. After all that he had gone through, Lewis genuinely did not know what to expect.

Carefully stepping out of the boat, he looked down at the box with a damned expression. It read in large capitalized bolded letters: **LEWIS.**

He knelt down and listened for any sound that might be coming from the box. He managed a small grin. There was not a ticking sound coming from inside the box. But that didn't help his case. Whatever could be inside that box was probably just as bad as a time bomb. He could feel it.

Sighing heavily, Lewis slowly began to open the box with sweaty palms, taking cautious movements. Suddenly, Lewis ripped the box open quickly, no longer able to proceed with such precaution. But there was only one sheet of paper that read in bold letters: **I'M BACK.**

Removing the sheet of paper from the box, he revealed the box full of printed photographs. Lewis' heart skipped a beat. He began to pick them up individually, but the pictures were repeated multiple times. Sorting through the pictures, Lewis found only four different ones: one with his boat and Will's headed towards Mako; Rikki, Bella, and Cleo sitting at a booth in the café; him and Cleo at a picnic on Mako; and the one that frightened him most of all—the girls with tails at the moonpool. All of the photographs had been taken recently, since many of the rocks and crystals still lay near the moonpool.

Feeling uneasy, Lewis carefully removed the pictures from the box, crumpled them all up, and threw them into the ocean. He watched the ink become smeared by the salt water and soon the pictures were nothing but a worthless wet blob. At least no one would ever be able to retrieve them again.

Now all he had left was the box. He decided he could toss that away later, so he threw the box into the boat. It landed with a small thud as if something was left inside of it. Curiosity took Lewis over and he once again opened the box, wondering what he had missed.

To his surprise, he found something silver. Interested, he picked it up and saw it was one of the lockets that Max had made. The pictures inside the locket were inside: one side with Rikki, Emma, and Cleo and the other with Louise, Julia, and Gracie. The chain and clasp were broken however; it was as if someone had ripped it off of someone's neck.

Lewis observed the locket more closely. His eyes widened when he saw the jewel cracked and chipping away. His heart raced when he finally realized that the jewel was white.

Fear had paralyzed Lewis. The locket belonged to Emma.


	3. Under Fire

**A/N: I'm just amazed by the amount of response WAHBL is receiving. It truly makes my day to have such great readers and reviewers! You guys are awesome. So please keep up with the reviews as they not only help inspire me but also help me get the next chapter up quicker! **

**So without further adieu, here's the next heart stopping chapter. Try to stay in the middle of your seat. Enjoy. :)**

* * *

It took Lewis awhile to get out of bed that morning. It took him even longer to gather up the courage to leave his house.

Looking at the marina in front of him, Lewis stopped and stood there trembling. Someone_—_or rather _something_—might be waiting to terrorise him again. It had traumatized him deeply, since he had run home without stopping right after he found Emma's broken locket, which was still placed in the pocket of his trousers. From that moment, Lewis knew he was no longer safe. Rikki, Bella, and Cleo were certainly not safe if somebody knew their secret—and clearly wanted to prove it with all of the pictures and evidence they had compiled.

Nothing seemed to put him at ease. No matter how much he thought about it tossing and turning the other night, not a single thing made sense. There were no logical explanations for the matter to make him feel better. The only thing he did have figured out was that someone was after him. And Rikki, Bella, and Emma. And Cleo. _His_ Cleo.

"Should I tell her?" Lewis asked himself. After all, most of the chaos concerned them and their secret. Dozens of pictures were printed and could have been given to anybody. The three of them could be exposed in minutes, which worried him sick. And Emma. What was he supposed to tell Rikki and Cleo about Emma? He knew she could be in danger; just by seeing the locket ominously placed at the bottom of the box proved his theory. With all of this in mind, Lewis decided to keep everything under wraps for now. Having Cleo, Rikki, and Bella worrying about the unknown would be too much on them. Especially with the little information they have to go off of. Perhaps waiting longer would give him time to find out more.

Sighing longingly, he focused back on the marina. Despite wanting to avoid it as much as he possibly could, Lewis knew he had to return to his boat. Eyeing over the docks, some of the fishing boats were coming back from their rounds, giving him a greater feeling of security. There was less chance of an attack or something being on his boat. Even so, he folded his hands together and closed his eyes. "Please don't let anything be there… _please_ don't let anything be there…"

Taking a step forward, he heard the boards creak under him. Stepping onto it with such precaution felt as if he were walking on glass. Slowly getting closer towards his boat, however, felt like he was walking to his own grave. Almost if he was asking for death, leading himself right towards the inevitable. Anything would be better than wondering if something was waiting for him. With every step Lewis felt his heart racing faster. Soon, he saw the post where he docked his boat. Only a larger boat blocked his view. The suspense and anxiety was killing him. He secretly wished for death instead.

Lewis took a deep breath in, closed his eyes, and took two steps forward. He stood there for a long time with his eyes closed. Finally, he opened them and he froze in fear. Lewis let out a small cry.

Two boxes, one large and the other small, were waiting for him.

Stepping into his boat, Lewis felt either crying or throwing them into the ocean. After sitting down, he realised that maybe both were a good option. Yet he sighed, knowing that he had to open the boxes for Rikki, Bella, Cleo, and Emma's sake. He needed to know what—or _who_ they were up against.

He decided to take the larger box first, which was an ordinary brown color. It was taped shut and again read in large bold letters: **LEWIS**. Opening the box with shaky hands, he breathed slowly, trying to maintain some form of composure. He felt chills roll up and down his spine with panic. Finally, not able to take it anymore, he viciously opened the box to find a piece of paper that read:

_Thought you and your little friends have seen the last of me? Think again. You can't get rid of me, Lewis. Not this time._

Below the note, he found even more pictures of Rikki, Bella, and Cleo in the moonpool with tails. Going further into the box, he discovered a few pictures of him just from the other day. Lewis' face whitened. It was pictures of him dumping the pictures in the ocean and holding Emma's locket. His head whirled around, looking in all directions. Could this person be watching him right now?

"Calm down." Lewis told himself, brushing the idea off of him. He knew he had to remain calm in order to not draw attention to himself.

Pushing the larger box aside, Lewis stared at the smaller box, which was wrapped perfectly like a gift. The paper was white with light blue snowflakes. On top was small white bow. "Emma?" He whispered, realizing there may be a connection between her and the white paper and snowflakes. Unwrapping the box carefully, Lewis pushed the paper and bow aside, wondering what could possibly be inside. Slowly, he opened the box and looked inside.

Suddenly, he gasped, averting his eyes from what was inside the box. Fear had paralyzed him once again and felt his heart pound with alarm. Mustering up all of his courage, he put his hand in the box and looked like he was going to be ill. Suddenly, he took his hand out and saw it covered in a dark red liquid.

He looked at his hands, now shaking uncontrollably, in horror. Quickly, Lewis threw everything into the large box and packed up in seconds. He hopped out of the boat quickly and took a look back to ensure he had everything. And with that, Lewis ran off, wanting to leave right then. The threat was real and was literally out for blood. That's what feared him the most. And what was inside the box proved that in an instant.

Scales covered in fresh blood.

* * *

"I just don't get it." Cleo stirred her juice with her straw. "Emma and those messages… she should be here by now!" She, Rikki, Bella, and Will were at the café, sitting in one of the booths.

"It has to be some sort of error with the dates. I'm sure it's nothing." Will reassured, his arm around Bella.

"Well, a message saying help doesn't exactly sound like nothing." Rikki retorted.

"Look, I know it looks bad, but there has to be some sort of explanation to this." Bella replied calmly.

Cleo disregarded Bella and Will's comforting. "Come to think of it, Rikki, we haven't heard from Em in a while."

"Surely_ if_ there was a problem, she would have told you." Will tried again.

"And maybe she was trying to tell us with the text message!" Rikki snapped, slamming her fist on the table, which shook some of the drinks.

"I'm just so worried about her." Cleo buried her face into her hands. "It's not like her at all."

"Cleo," Bella started, "everything is fine with Emma. I'm sure it's all a massive misunderstanding or something." She gave her an assuring look. "I was there with you when you got the texts. I know it's really scary. But wouldn't you have heard something by now if this really was real?"

Rikki sighed. "I don't know. Emma's smart, so she wouldn't let us on like that unless something was really wrong."

Cleo still refused to listen. "I'm gonna call her." Dialing Emma's contact quickly, she waited for the first ring. She put in on speaker as well, so that the rest of them could hear it. However, an intercept message came up and replied, "_Your call cannot be connected or is no longer in service. Please check the number or try again later." _

Locking her phone shut, Cleo remained silent and slumped back into the booth. Rikki, on the other hand, came back again at Will. "That can't be a coincidence can it, Will?"

"He's only trying to help." Bella defended him.

"Bella! One of my best friends might be in trouble. This is not the time!" Rikki snapped.

She looked at her with a hurt expression. "And I'm not?"

Taking a deep breath, Rikki replied calmly. "Of course you are, Bella. That's—it's not what I meant. I'm just really worried about Emma. I'm sorry if that came out the wrong way."

Bella smiled. "Rikki, was that an apology?"

"Yeh, yeh, yeh." Rikki smiled back, taking a sip of her drink. She looked across at Will. "And I suppose I'm sorry too."

He nodded. "No worries."

"And it's not like we're not worried." Bella said. "We are. It's just that you guys can't jump to conclusions just yet."

"Just yet." Cleo mocked on the verge of tears. "Her number has been disconnected and we last heard from her with a cryptic message. This means something is up." She choked up on her words. "And—and I really want to know what."

Silence filled the table. Suddenly, the beaded door to the café rustled and Lewis ran in, completely out of breath. As soon as he saw Cleo and their friends, he was flooded with relief. But as soon as he realised he still had the boxes with the pictures and scales, he felt his face lose colour.

"Yikes. What happened to you?" Rikki teased. "Looks like you've been running from a ghost!"

Lewis managed a small smile, knowing that she was right to an extent. But he knew he couldn't lead them on.

"So, what's in the boxes?" Will asked as Lewis put them on the ground before he sat down.

"Uh…" Lewis had to think for a moment. Gulping nervously, he managed to say, "Only some new bait." To his luck, the group believed his story for now.

"Lewis!" Cleo finally managed to smile. "I'm so happy you're here. We need to tell you something."

Carefully, Lewis sat down to hear the apparent news. He waited for Cleo to tell him herself, but he noticed she looked very emotional. Instead, Rikki told him. "Lewis," she began gently, "we think that something's happened to Emma."

He sat there blindsided. Something _has_ happened to Emma. Panicking in silence, he debated on whether or not to tell them that someone had given him Emma's locket. And knew their secret. However, he just said a simple "What?"

"We're really not sure yet, but we got a text from Emma yesterday—" Bella stopped at the sound of an engine roaring and cheers from Zane's office. She turned her attention towards Rikki, who seemed quite agitated over the noise coming from his office. In a huff, Rikki got up and headed towards Zane's office.

"Rikki, wait!" They called after her, but she had already burst through the office.

"We're trying to have a conversation here, Zane. A very important one might I add." Rikki stormed in and stood right in front of the television set, where Zane was playing a racing game.

"Great. And _how_ do I fit into all of this?" Zane asked, trying to look past Rikki and concentrate on the game.

"You turn off the game and I'm happy." She smirked.

"Still no." He copied the same smirk on her face. "I am five laps away from winning this racing cup, so just give me one—"

"Zane," Rikki said simply. "Turn off the game now. Or I will happily break it for you."

"Rikki…"

"I don't know why I'm being nice, considering the situation, but I'll say it again."

"But I'm so close—" Rikki stared him down. "But—" She blinked at him. "Oh, fine. You win." He took the remote and disconnected the game. The news came on instead.

"Can we come in now?" Bella opened the door as Rikki nodded. The four of them filed in the room.

"Alright. So what was so important that you were talking about?" Zane asked.

"It's about Emma." Rikki began.

"We think something's happened to her." Cleo added with a small sniffle.

"Emma?" Zane questioned. "Why would she—"

The enlarged bolded words _**BREAKING NEWS **_flashed across the television screen. Everyone's attention was immediately directed at the screen. A devastating headline flashed across the television, causing gasps to echo through the room.

_Australian Teen Emma Gilbert Missing in London_


	4. The Confrontation

**A/N: A massive thank you to everyone who has reviewed, followed, favourited, and read _WAHBL_. I'd love to hear feedback from you guys, so please review! It gives me inspiration, which makes updates more frequent. :)**

**So without further adieu, let's see what happened to Emma...**

* * *

_**BREAKING NEWS: **Australian Teen Emma Gilbert Missing in London._

Rikki and Cleo looked at the screen in sad disbelief. They had become frozen in shock, unable to process the words staring at them across the television. Simply the two stood there, landing in an endless nightmare, desperately searching for a way to wake up. But they had become trapped in the midst of devastation; it was as if nothing else was left for them. And soon, the two were drowning in their own pit of despair, mourning their Emma.

"Em?" Rikki finally managed a soft whisper, her voice beginning to choke. A picture of a smiling Emma appeared under the headline. Her eyes softened with the welling of tears. "Oh…" Her voice cracked with grief but then turned into a loud sob with "Emma."

Cleo immediately turned hysterical, not able to hide the pain anymore. Quickly, she turned away from the television and embraced Rikki, burying her head into her friend's shoulder. Looking at Cleo and then back at Emma's picture, Rikki's strength gave out and tears ran down her cheek.

Bella remained silent, just as shocked as Rikki and Cleo. She looked over at the two, grasping each other to try to find some form of comfort. Sighing, Bella knew that she had no idea what was going through their minds, the emotions they were feeling or how to help them. Because she certainly did not know how to handle this news herself. She was sad and devastated for her friends and wanted to mourn with them. This girl—though they had never met—was just like her and Bella had wanted to meet her. They could have been friends—Bella could have been in hysterics like Rikki and Cleo. And she felt fear, knowing that this could have been her, Rikki, or Cleo.

All of the emotions suddenly made Bella feel ill, beginning to tremble in a way to stay calm. Her breathing tightened in a small panic. Sensing this, Will—who was wide-eyed with shock—shuffled over to Bella, wrapping his arms around her in much-needed comfort. He kissed the top of her head and looked as if he would never let her go. Not after one of their own was missing.

As for Zane, he just watched with sad eyes. Quietly, he sat up from the sofa and stood behind the embraced Rikki and Cleo, placing his hand on Rikki's shoulder. She then whirled around with a sad expression, let go of Cleo, and surprisingly fell into his arms. Cleo seemed to understand this and looked at Lewis, who was frozen with a look of pure terror. Seeing Cleo's desperation, he walked over to her as she began to sob again in his arms. Lewis hugged her tightly and tried not to show his panic.

_We have breaking news tonight. Gold Coast teen Emma Gilbert has been officially reported missing in London._

Everyone froze again, directing their attention back towards the screen. Zane turned the volume up as the story began to unfold:

_What was supposed to be a holiday of a lifetime turned into the holiday from hell for the Gilbert family. _

_Lisa and Neil Gilbert had taken eighteen year old Emma and fourteen year old Elliot Gilbert on a tour around the world, highlighting their time in Europe. Everything had seemed fine on this holiday until one day—authorities say about three months before the official report was filed— the Gilberts woke up to find Emma missing. Later, cellular records report that Emma sent a text to both her parents that she and her boyfriend, Ash Dove, were going to Ireland for a few months._

_After that message, Lisa and Neil had not heard from their daughter since. But they had believed that Emma was in safe hands. Until Dove turns up in London, looking for Emma, instantly setting panic on the family. _

_Though the young man claims he has not heard from Emma in several months, authorities have Mr. Dove in custody for questioning. He remains the key suspect in her disappearance for now and has made a statement that quote: "I am innocent; I have done nothing. I love Emma and I would never hurt her. I love Emma… and in every waking minute, I pray that she is okay, wherever she may be." He remains cooperating with police._

_Authorities have tried to track her phone, but it has been disconnected as if her number had never existed. And without this vital piece of information, British authorities have no leads. As of today, the Australian government has been called in for any possible assistance._

_The Gilbert family has decided to remain in London for the time being, in case there is any news on their daughter. The family has denied talking to news stations but their lawyer has made a statement on their behalf: _

"_Please respect the privacy of the Gilbert family at this time… as they are extremely concerned about the whereabouts of their daughter. Please give their respected time together… though they remain hopeful that their Emma will return." _

Zane turned the television off wordlessly as an eerie silence filled the room.

No one dared to speak.

No one _wanted_ to speak.

The sound of someone trying to withhold their cries finally ended the quiet. Cleo then broke and once again began to cry hysterically, tears streaming down her face and her body trembling in anguish. Quickly, she let go of a terrified Lewis and raced back towards Rikki, who was just as inconsolable. Though Rikki first remained in a silent angst, she eventually started to sob, letting go of Zane to go to Cleo. Bella, too, joined in on the hug, tears also rolling down her cheek.

Everything seemed to go by slowly for Lewis. Standing there with a dumbfounded expression, he felt the locket burn inside his pocket, itching for answers. Lewis gulped in fright and began to panic, knowing he _should _have told the girls as soon as he knew. Kicking himself for it, Lewis once again contemplated on what to do. Should I tell them now? Maybe it's for the best to do it right then and there. He kicked himself once again. "There's no way I could tell them now; they're already devastated." Lewis thought. And even if he wanted to speak, Lewis still felt as if the air was being sucked out of his lungs.

"I, um, I'm going to go shut down the café for the day." Zane announced awkwardly and headed towards the door.

"Good idea. I'll come with you." Will seconded, following Zane out of the office.

That left Lewis and the girls in the office, which made him feel even more uncomfortable. The locket continued to burn in his pocket with guilt and regret. And the feeling of being powerless.

He stood looking at the three girls, embraced in a mess of tears. They had been wounded but remained strong for one another by each other. Lewis had to smile at that, but it quickly fell as a reminder to the unknown that still lay ahead.

The important question of _**who**_ was after them.

Taking in a deep breath, Lewis feared this unknown. The only thing he could be sure of was that Rikki, Bella, Cleo, and Emma—wherever she may be—must say safe.

He would fight for them until hell freezes over.

A loud _**CRASH**_ broke him of his thoughts. The girls stopped crying as well. Zane was yelling: "GET THE HELL OUT OF MY CAFÉ!"

Alarmed, Lewis headed for the door. The girls looked at him as if not knowing what to do. "Um… uh… you guys just stay here." He panicked and opened the door to see a familiar face sitting in one of the centre tables. Lewis' face immediately lost all its colour and said nothing. The person happily smiled at Lewis, taking a sip of her tea.

"I told you. You are _**NOT **_welcome here so _**GET OUT NOW!**_" Zane yelled, knocking over a chair. Will remained silent as he was picking up an array of broken glasses and other chairs that Zane had tossed moments before.

Hearing the commotion, Rikki, Bella, and Cleo surfaced out of the office. Rikki and Cleo stopped immediately and pulled Bella back.

"Well, hello there, girls." She said, standing up. "What a pleasant surprise."

"Denman," Rikki managed a bitter snarl. They pulled themselves together arm-in-arm trying to find a strong image.

Doctor Denman smiled at them, speaking casually. "It's great to see you, too, Rikki. And you as well, Cleo. My, you two have changed in—how long has it been since we last saw each other?—two years perhaps?" She did not even look at Bella. "Where's Emma today?"

Cleo let out a sob as Rikki squinted her eyes at Denman accusingly. "Like you don't already know."

Denman remained silent, looking around the room for some form of clarity. Finally, Will answered for them. "Emma has gone missing."

A gasp escaped Denman and she put her hand across her chest in what seemed like genuine shock. "Oh my goodness. I—I had no idea. If—if I had known that I wouldn't have said it so insensitively."

"Like _hell_ you would have." Rikki snapped, marching right up to Denman, who looked down at Rikki with an amused expression. "I know you know where Emma is. I'd even go so far to say that you took her yourself." Cleo and Bella walked towards Rikki, pulling her back a few steps.

Denman's eyebrow raised. "Well, Rikki, you and I both know that I would have no interest in your Emma—no offence—now that you're powerless. Which is quite a pity but that's beside my point here." She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. "Look, I know you're upset about Emma. And believe me, I sympathise with you. She seemed like a lovely girl. But I have no idea of where she is."

"Then why _are_ you here?" Lewis asked. "Besides getting tea?"

She smiled at him. "Always a pleasure to see you, Lewis." He did not respond to her greeting. "Fine then. If you must know, I'm collecting fish populations within the area—"

"Again?" Cleo piped up.

"Well, there were reports about fish leaving the Mako Island area a month or so ago, so I'm just making sure everything has returned back to normal." Lewis was about to speak but she cut him off. "And before you ask me to show them, I don't have them at this time. You're welcome to come down by the boat if you like. Though I may be able to approximate the number of Blue Tangs in the area right now." No one answered. "Perhaps I might be able to estimate the population of the Threadfin butterflyfish as well?"

"So that's the only reason you're here?" Bella questioned, speaking for the first time.

Tilting her head, Denman stared at Bella, making her rather uncomfortable. Bella immediately averted her gaze and looked down at the ground. "Yes, it is. Unless you give me a reason to stay." She was the only one who laughed.

She smiled crookedly and focused back on Bella. "But I don't believe we've met before." Denman smiled, extending her hand to Bella. "I'm Doctor Linda Denman. I'm assuming Rikki and Cleo have told you about me." Bella didn't accept her greeting. "And you are…?"

Bella stared at Denman, who just smiled at her. "Bella." Denman looked over at Will as if expecting an introduction. "And that's Will."

Still smiling, Denman nodded. "Well, it's a pleasure meeting you two." She looked at Zane and Lewis and then back at Rikki and Cleo. "And I'm so glad we've had this little chance to see each other again—"

"Now get out." Zane said grimly, wasting no time and extending his arm towards the door.

"But before I do that, I would love another tea—"

"_**NOW!**_"

"Zane, that's a terrible way to treat customers." Denman smirked, starting towards the door. "I'll be sure to tell my friends not to come here."

"If she _has_ any friends." Rikki mumbled, causing Cleo to laugh under her breath.

Denman swirled back around. "I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again." And she headed out of the beaded curtain without another word.

"She seemed nice," Bella retorted. "A real charmer."

"I don't like the fact that she's back." Cleo admitted with a sniffle, wiping mascara from the bottom of her eye. "Especially at a time like this."

"Neither do I." Rikki replied, heading towards the door to see her speed away in a zodiac off the jetty.

"I don't buy the whole fish population thing. I didn't the first time either." Zane added.

"Whatever she's here for," Rikki began, "we're going to find out."

"But first!" Lewis blurted out, taking a deep breath. Everyone's attention turned towards him. "There's, um, something you guys should know…"


End file.
